imported>Antured: Fixed cite errors.

2025-05-27T18:12:39Z

Fixed cite errors.

New page

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Other uses}}

[[File:The Honorable Roderick Matheson.jpg|thumb|Portrait of the Honorable Roderick Matheson, prominent merchant and statesman.]]

[[The Honourable]] '''Roderick Matheson''' (December 1793 – January 13, 1873) was an [[Ontario]] businessman and political figure. He was a [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|Conservative]] member of the [[Senate of Canada]] from 1867 until his death.

==Early life ==
He was born in [[Lochcarron]], [[Ross and Cromarty|Ross-shire]], [[Scotland]] in 1793 and came to [[Lower Canada]] around 1806. He served with the Glengarry Fencibles during the [[War of 1812]], reaching the rank of lieutenant. In 1817, he settled at the military settlement at [[Perth, Ontario|Perth]]. Matheson operated a general store there and was a director of the Tay Navigation Company. In 1847, he was appointed to the [[Legislative Council of the Province of Canada]] and, in 1855, he was made colonel and put in charge of the 1st military district of [[Canada West]]. He was named a Senator after [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]].

== Private life ==
Matheson married Mary Fraser Robertson in Montreal on November 5, 1823. After she died giving birth to twin boys, John and Roderick, in 1825, he married Annabella Russell in [[Gairloch]], Scotland on August 11, 1830. Matheson had seven daughters (Isabella, Flora, Mary, Anna, Eliza, Joan, and Rose) and four sons (William, Charles, Arthur and Alan), one of whom, [[Arthur Matheson|Arthur]], later served as treasurer of Ontario. Of his seven daughters, only one married. The rest lived out their days at the Matheson House in Perth, Upper Canada (Ontario) and helped tend to the house and gardens after their mother died in 1854.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Matheson |first1=Roderick |title=Perth Pioneer Cemetery |url=https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/person/tree/102376840/person/280021969997/facts |website=Ancestry}}</ref>

== Death ==
Roderick Matheson died of a [[stroke]] in Perth, Ontario in 1873. [[Matheson House (Perth)|Matheson House]], his former residence in Perth, is a [[National Historic Sites of Canada|National Historic Site of Canada]] and now serves as the Perth Museum.<ref>{{CRHP|11553|Matheson House}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

* {{cite DCB |first=Geo. |last=Mainer |title=Matheson, Roderick |volume=10 |url=https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/matheson_roderick_10E.html}}
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=16763|2=The Hon. Roderick Matheson, Senator}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matheson, Roderick}}
[[Category:1793 births]]
[[Category:1873 deaths]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada]]
[[Category:Canadian senators from Ontario]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators]]
[[Category:Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario]]
[[Category:Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec]]
[[Category:Immigrants to Lower Canada]]
[[Category:Immigrants to Upper Canada]]

Roderick Matheson - Revision history

imported>Antured: Fixed cite errors.